I Bow My Knees Before The Father

 
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” Ephesians 3:14-16

Paul firmly acknowledges the supremacy of Christ over all of creation, leaving no room for doubt. Every family in heaven, including the divine council members of the spiritual realm and all the created beings that occupy it, are subject to His authority. This includes all of God's heavenly family, the messengers of the spiritual realm (angels) who deliver messages to the recipients of salvation on earth, the cherubim who stand guard before God's throne and the entrance to the garden of Eden, and the seraphim (also called burning ones) who have six wings and declare the glories of God. The seraphim use two wings to fly, two wings to cover their faces and two wings to cover their bodies (or nakedness), as mentioned in Isaiah chapter 6. The Seraphim “… called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke.” Isaiah 6:3-4 NET. The human family on earth is also included; we are the imagers that God created in his likeness. Paul emphasizes that all of God's family is involved in the manifestation of His riches. God's riches refer to the revealing of His presence, which is also filled with His glory.

Paul boldly acknowledges that he humbles himself and bows his knees before the Father. It is an undeniable fact that the Father's ultimate desire is for all of His family to become united in Christ. It is not a far-fetched idea that spiritual entities can become united with humans as a family. We have a deep spiritual connection with the Father and Jesus, both of whom are divine beings. Through our interaction with them, we are exposed to the family that God desires to unite. Numerous people have reported that they have had interactions with angels before, and it is usually unbeknownst to them that at the time of visitation these beings are, in fact, embodied angels.

According to Paul, God's riches bless and empower our inner being, rather than physical possessions. While physical things may be a part of God's blessings, we must not forget that God looks at the heart, not just physical possessions. Solomon's story is a perfect example of this. “And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1 Kings 3:8-14 ESV

There is the matter of what we are named, Paul says that every family in heaven and earth is named, we are named after God Himself, in Christ Jesus. “You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross! As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11NET.

Moreover, Paul included "under the earth" in this Philippians passage, which includes all of creation, even those who rebelled like a third of the angelic beings that fell with Lucifer. It includes the angels who took human wives and procreated against God's desires producing giants upon the land. And lastly, the sons of God who were to look after the disobedient seventy nations and also rebelled and demanded that humankind worship them instead of God. “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment, and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world, and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly, and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men, (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) —if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment” 2 Peter 2:4-9 NET

Make no mistake, every knee will bow to the name of Jesus. His name is the name by which all creation is named, for he is the embodiment of the Father in human flesh. As children of our heavenly Father, we must die to our sinful Adamic nature and become empowered with the Holy Spirit of God. It is through this power, that the riches and power of Christ are manifested, that way when we do the work of the Father we glorify God our heavenly Father.

Stephen Barnett